McConnell Delivers a Statement
In a recent vote opposing Pete Hegseth, the former GOP leader signals that he cannot be counted on as a dependable ally of Donald Trump.
TroibNews 
Mitch McConnell may no longer lead the Senate, but he demonstrated on Friday night that he still has significant influence.
After several days of questions regarding his support for Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Defense Secretary, McConnell became the third Senate Republican to oppose Hegseth. This decision forced Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote, marking the first time since 2017 that a Cabinet nominee required such assistance. It also signaled to Donald Trump that McConnell, a longtime party stalwart, remains willing to challenge the former president on crucial issues, particularly those related to national security.
In a detailed statement, McConnell emphasized that the person heading the Pentagon must face “a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests.” He added, “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.”
Colleagues of the Kentucky Republican do not anticipate him becoming a consistent thorn in Trump’s side. Following the vote on Hegseth’s nomination, some expressed that while they might differ in their decisions, they share McConnell’s worldview. “We can’t be isolationists,” remarked Sen. Thom Tillis, who was seen as a potential swing vote but ultimately backed Hegseth. “I do share his view of the role we should play in the world.”
McConnell has made it clear that he intends to use his vote strategically. Since stepping down from leadership, he has taken charge of the Appropriations subcommittee, overseeing over $800 billion in annual defense spending. He has signaled his intent to confront the isolationist faction within the party, telling his biographer Michael Tackett that he aims to make the late Sen. John McCain “sound like a dove.”
He also issued a subtle warning regarding Trump’s nominees during a Senate floor speech earlier this year, asserting his commitment to confirm nominees for senior national security positions with proven records and experience that would be “immediate assets — not liabilities — in the pursuit of peace through strength.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump indicated that McConnell could pose a challenge: "Of course, Mitch is always a no vote, I guess," he said during an on-camera commentary about the Hegseth vote, despite McConnell having voted to advance the nomination the previous day.
The complicated relationship between Trump and McConnell is well-documented. They did not communicate for three-and-a-half years after the then-Senate leader congratulated Joe Biden as president-elect in December 2020, and McConnell later criticized Trump fiercely following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Yet, he did vote against convicting Trump on impeachment charges and has pledged his support if Trump secures the GOP presidential nomination again.
The implications of McConnell’s “peace through strength” stance extend beyond Hegseth. His support could be in jeopardy for Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence and possibly for Kash Patel’s FBI director candidacy. Given his childhood experience with polio, he may also oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health and human services secretary, who has voiced skepticism regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
McConnell has been one of the Senate’s most prominent proponents of continued support for Ukraine, pushing back against fellow Republicans advocating for reduced funding to counter Russia.
With Trump’s anticipated return to office, McConnell has been open about his disagreements with the isolationist leanings of the president and his faction within the party. At a national security conference at the Ronald Reagan Library in December, he stated that "America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline."
Additionally, McConnell criticized Hegseth's views on foreign policy in his Friday night statement, asserting that Hegseth “did not reckon” with the necessary strategies to counter aggression from geopolitical adversaries while referencing his comments regarding NATO and China. He noted, “As the 29th Secretary of Defense, Mr. Hegseth will be immediately tested by ongoing conflicts caused by Russian aggression in Europe and Iranian-backed terror in the Middle East. He will have to grapple with an unfinished FY25 appropriations process that — without his intervention — risks further harming the readiness of our forces,” McConnell said.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
After several days of questions regarding his support for Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Defense Secretary, McConnell became the third Senate Republican to oppose Hegseth. This decision forced Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote, marking the first time since 2017 that a Cabinet nominee required such assistance. It also signaled to Donald Trump that McConnell, a longtime party stalwart, remains willing to challenge the former president on crucial issues, particularly those related to national security.
In a detailed statement, McConnell emphasized that the person heading the Pentagon must face “a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests.” He added, “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.”
Colleagues of the Kentucky Republican do not anticipate him becoming a consistent thorn in Trump’s side. Following the vote on Hegseth’s nomination, some expressed that while they might differ in their decisions, they share McConnell’s worldview. “We can’t be isolationists,” remarked Sen. Thom Tillis, who was seen as a potential swing vote but ultimately backed Hegseth. “I do share his view of the role we should play in the world.”
McConnell has made it clear that he intends to use his vote strategically. Since stepping down from leadership, he has taken charge of the Appropriations subcommittee, overseeing over $800 billion in annual defense spending. He has signaled his intent to confront the isolationist faction within the party, telling his biographer Michael Tackett that he aims to make the late Sen. John McCain “sound like a dove.”
He also issued a subtle warning regarding Trump’s nominees during a Senate floor speech earlier this year, asserting his commitment to confirm nominees for senior national security positions with proven records and experience that would be “immediate assets — not liabilities — in the pursuit of peace through strength.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump indicated that McConnell could pose a challenge: "Of course, Mitch is always a no vote, I guess," he said during an on-camera commentary about the Hegseth vote, despite McConnell having voted to advance the nomination the previous day.
The complicated relationship between Trump and McConnell is well-documented. They did not communicate for three-and-a-half years after the then-Senate leader congratulated Joe Biden as president-elect in December 2020, and McConnell later criticized Trump fiercely following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Yet, he did vote against convicting Trump on impeachment charges and has pledged his support if Trump secures the GOP presidential nomination again.
The implications of McConnell’s “peace through strength” stance extend beyond Hegseth. His support could be in jeopardy for Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence and possibly for Kash Patel’s FBI director candidacy. Given his childhood experience with polio, he may also oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health and human services secretary, who has voiced skepticism regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
McConnell has been one of the Senate’s most prominent proponents of continued support for Ukraine, pushing back against fellow Republicans advocating for reduced funding to counter Russia.
With Trump’s anticipated return to office, McConnell has been open about his disagreements with the isolationist leanings of the president and his faction within the party. At a national security conference at the Ronald Reagan Library in December, he stated that "America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline."
Additionally, McConnell criticized Hegseth's views on foreign policy in his Friday night statement, asserting that Hegseth “did not reckon” with the necessary strategies to counter aggression from geopolitical adversaries while referencing his comments regarding NATO and China. He noted, “As the 29th Secretary of Defense, Mr. Hegseth will be immediately tested by ongoing conflicts caused by Russian aggression in Europe and Iranian-backed terror in the Middle East. He will have to grapple with an unfinished FY25 appropriations process that — without his intervention — risks further harming the readiness of our forces,” McConnell said.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
